


Life As We Know It

by Danger_Zone24



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Babies, M/M, Minor Character Death, Retirement, Slowish build, Stuff happens, Then It Picks Up The Pace, slices of life, slight agnst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 16:26:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8168441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danger_Zone24/pseuds/Danger_Zone24
Summary: James Bond comes home with a baby. Q has no idea what to do.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting this story off I thought it would only be a few paragraphs but it turned into three chapters. Well, I suppose when the story wants to run it will :) Hope you all like.

Q didn’t look up from his computer as something was suddenly thrust into his arms, “007! I don’t have time to look after your equipment.”

“Please, it’ll just be for a minute. I have to go see M.” James left as quickly as he had come.

“Seriously, why can’t you take it with you? 007! Bond! Booonnnd! Don’t leave! You bastard!” Q yelled after him, as he swivelled his chair to face the door.

“Q, what’s that?” Eve asked appearing in the office moments later, after having been bumped out of the way as James barrelled through the door.

They both looked down at what appeared to be a newborn baby. “I don’t know Eve, but whatever it is, it’s crying. Remind me to send Bond out on his next mission with a water pistol and a pack of gum. Here, you hold it.”

“No, Bond gave it to you, so you have to hold it,” Eve started to back away with her hands up.

“But Eve,” whined Q as he got up and attempted to hand the baby over to her.

“Oh god, Q, it’s crying more now. Take it back, take it back,” said Eve, quickly depositing the infant back into Q’s arms.

The crying lessened, but didn’t stop. Q huffed, “Fine. What the hell are we supposed to do with it?”

“Um. Change it maybe and probably feed it.”

“And how are we meant to do that?”

“I don’t know, Q. Do I really have to figure everything out? Let’s try looking in this bag Bond left.”

“Good idea,” Q said watching as Eve started to rummage around in the bag James had dropped next to his desk. He hadn’t noticed James leave it there.

“Ah ha, here are some nappies. I’m going to go heat up this bottle.” Straightening up Eve shoved the nappies into Q’s hand.

“Why do I have to change it?” Q asked horrified.

“You’re the one holding it. I’ll be right back.” Eve quickly made her escape.

“Holy hell, this is so not in my job description. I hope there’s instructions on these things.” Q cleared a space on his desk and grabbed his cardigan from the back of his chair, laying it  
down on the flat surface before putting the baby down. Picking the nappies back up again, he turned them over searching for some type of clue as to how to use one. After a couple of minutes he started looking up instructions on Google.

Eve came back with Tanner in tow halfway through the second You Tube tutorial Q had clicked on. Scratching his head, Q turned and looked at them with a pained expression on his face. Tanner took pity on him and showed him how to change and dress the little girl. The baby deciding she wouldn’t be happy getting fed anywhere but Q’s arms, wrapped up warmly in his cardigan. Whilst Tanner was teaching Q, Eve had shooed away the curious minions crowding the doorway and directed them to see R if they had any problems, saying only to interrupt Q if the world had most certainly ended. 

To Q’s relief James came back soon after the little girl had fallen asleep and took her off his hands, disappearing out the door with the baby and nappy bag after a quiet thank you. The three left behind in the office shared confused looks before M called Eve and Tanner up to his office and Q’s minions trickled back into his office wanting help on various non world-ending things.

~~~

As Q was packing up to go home, at a decent hour for once, Eve burst into the room. “You won’t believe this!”

“Believe what, Eve?” pausing, Q looked up.

“Bond and the 007 number have officially been retired!”

“What? Retired?”

“Yes. That’s why M wanted Tanner and I before. We’ve been sorting out all Bond’s paper work for him.” 

“Is it because of the baby? Is it his?”

“Yes, and no it’s not his. Well, it is now apparently, he’s adopted her. I’m not sure how he got her, M wouldn’t say. But now Bond is a stay at home dad. Can you believe that?”

Stunned Q sat down, “Well, I suppose I won’t have to design that water pistol for him or buy a pack of gum.”

“It won’t be the same around here with him gone. Hey, do you want a lift home?”

“Please, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Of course not. I wouldn’t have offered otherwise.”

~~~

A loud knocking at Q’s front door had him bolting up right, hands going for his glasses and gun on his bedside table. Cautiously he padded silently through his flat, wondering who  
the hell would be at his door at such an ungodly hour of the morning. Peeking through the peephole, he saw a very tired looking James Bond on the other side. He had been looking dead on his feet before in his brief appearance in Q’s office. Q put his gun in the waistband of his pjs and opened the door.

“James?” He inquired as he ushered the man and one unhappy baby inside. 

“Please help me. I’ve tried but I can’t get her to stop crying. I’ve fed her. I’ve changed her, twice. I’ve done everything I could think of. You managed to make her sleep before, could you do it again? Then I’ll be out of your way and you can go back to sleep.”

“Here, give her to me. The bedroom and bathroom are that way,” Q said as he unloaded James of the baby, still swaddled in his cardigan and the ever-present nappy bag.

James raised his eyebrows at Q. “What? You look like you could do with a few hours of sleep. I’m awake now and I doubt I’ll go back to sleep, so you may as well take the chance.”

Q pushed James in the direction of the bedroom, before heading to the kitchen and flipping the kettle on. Cooing at the baby, he let her grab a hold of one of his fingers as he gently  
rocked her. Soon the tired baby fell asleep in his arms. Q sighed, thankful that the crying had finally stopped. He couldn’t believe that crying babies were becoming a thing that appeared in his life, what was the world coming to? 

Placing his finished tea mug in the sink, he jumped a little when he turned to find James standing in the kitchen. “You’re supposed to be asleep.”

“I don’t want to impose.”

“Bond, go sleep.”

“But what about you?”

“I’ll be looking after the baby. And probably doing some coding, until you wake up.”

“Q…”

“Gees James, seriously, don’t mess with the plan. We can argue about it when you wake up.”

“That makes no sense.”

“Nor dose you refusing a very comfy bed and a babysitter. Now go to bed before I drag you in there myself.” James ran a hand over his face before turning and slumping back to the  
bedroom. 

When he got to the door he turned back, “Thanks Q. Her name is Louise Jane.”

Smiling down at the baby Q settled into one of the kitchen chairs and opened his laptop. He sent a quick email off to Q-Branch saying he wouldn’t be in that day. Luckily it was one of the quiet days, with not many agents out in the field and none that needed help to come home or go out. R and Eve would have a heart attack when they found out he was planning on taking a long weekend. They constantly complained about the one or so days he took off every couple of months, saying it wasn’t enough. Since all he did was coding or hacking in his spare time, Q thought he might as well do it in Q-Branch since he may be needed to help with an emergency or something.

A couple of hours later Louise started to wake up and make a fuss. Q got up and stretched. He had looked up how to make a bottle of formula and how to change nappies again in between the coding he was doing. He was proud that he managed to change the nappy properly after a couple of tries; it was better than his first attempts at the office. Getting another tea for himself he grabbed a pair of headphones and the remote from next to the TV before going back to the kitchen table. He flicked through the channels before settling on a random news channel and started to rock Louise and code again. He smirked, who said men couldn’t multitask?

~~~

Sometime mid afternoon James emerged from the bedroom looking refreshed. He looked around the room to find Q, finally spotting his curly mop of hair protruding from the end of the couch. Going over to investigate he found Louise fast asleep in a baby rocker Q had rigged up for her. Q was dozing whilst one of his feet was nudging the rocker gently. As James lent on the back of the couch, Q groggily looked up at him, glasses askew. 

“I just came over here,” Q mumbled.

“That’s ok, you stay there. I’ll make breakfast, or lunch rather.”

“Mmm, got stuff in fridge that might be in date. If not, there’s menus on the bench.” Q relaxed back into the couch, taking his glasses off and throwing an arm across his eyes.

James padded into the kitchen. Looking through the fridge he only found a carrot in there, and the pantry wasn’t much help either with only a bag of flour on the top shelf. Grabbing  
the menus he settled on some Thai before heating up a bottle of formula for Louise. He took her out of the rocker and moved Q’s feet onto his lap as he sat down on the couch. Q cracked an eye open and glared at James for moving him, wriggling a little to get comfortable again. James couldn’t help but to grin at how domestic the scene was.

Q grumbled as James poked him up to go get the Thai as he went to change Louise. As Q deposited the food in the kitchen he watched James master the nappy change. “How are you so good at that?”

“Just am, I suppose.”

“Amazing. Who knew that one of the great 007s many talents would be changing a nappy.”

“Snarky as ever, Q. And call me James please, I’m not 007 anymore,” James said raising an eyebrow at him.

“Fine. You can call me Danny, instead of Q. If you wanted to, that is,” said Q turning away from James towards the kettle.

James hugged Louise to his chest and walked into the kitchen to grab his plate, “Thank you. You know for yesterday and today.”

“No worries, it’s been interesting,” Q said smiling, sitting down next to James. He laughed as Louise yawned and made a squeaking sound.

“Seriously though. I don’t know what I would’ve done, if you hadn’t helped.”

“Get M to help or Eve?”

James snorted, “Can you imagine M trying to change a nappy?”

“Well, he might have more of a clue then I have.”

“It’s really not that hard, Danny.”

“Really? Says you, the master nappy changer.”

“I thought young people knew everything. That’s what I’ve been told on a regular basis.”

“Once or twice doesn’t count as all the time, old man,” Q chuckled as James smiled.

“I’ll miss your sarcasm,” James murmured.

“Same here. Look, what are you doing this weekend?”

“Buying furniture and other things Louise will need. I’ve got enough clothes and formula for now though. Hopefully I can set up a routine with her. Oh and looking for a house. A hotel  
room is probably not the best place for a baby.”

“Stay the weekend with me, or for as long as you like. Being a single parent can be hard, and I don’t mind helping. We can clear the spare room out and you can use that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It’s about time I cleared up that room. Nearly all the computers in there could probably go to museums they are that old.” Q gave James a quick glance.

“Are you implying I should be in a museum as well?”

“Hmmm. You are positively ancient so you would fit right in,” Q said cheekily, ducking as James flicked his head.

“As long as you’re absolutely sure, I’ll stay.”

“Cool. I’ll rope Eve and Tanner into helping us,” Q yawned, getting up to chuck the rubbish in the bin.

“Go sleep. I’ll sort the help out. We can all go shopping together tomorrow.”

Q smiled at James and kissed Louise’s head before disappearing. James sighed before moving to the TV. This was going to be interesting. He had been falling for Q for a while now.  
Danny rather, he’d have to get used to that. And used to living with him. At work it was easy to look and not touch but here in the flat it was going to be harder to keep his distance. It would be a small miracle if Danny liked him back.

In the shower Q lent against the wall. What had possessed him to offer James a place to stay? He did have the space yes, and he also did mean what he had said about helping. But his crush on the man was going to be so much harder to ignore. Especially when his sheets smelt like the said man. Q knew he was absolutely done for.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James Bond comes home with a baby. Q has no idea what to do.

Eve and Tanner showed up the next day to get started on the spare room. Even with their help it took them the whole weekend to sort it all out. M had turned up as they had put the final touches in place. He told Q that he had a few weeks off for an overdue holiday. Not that anything would stop Q from regularly logging into Mi6 to check on how things were going. And just like Q had thought, M really did have more of a clue about changing nappies then he did. The group laughed at Q’s attempts, though that being said he was getting better with each try.

James and Q settled quickly into a rhythm with Louise. Q took the early morning feeds and attempted to cook some sort of breakfast whilst James went for a run. James looked after the night feeds and dinner while Q coded or hacked. They both shared the lunch duties, James teaching Q how to not blow the kitchen up. They had a few close calls, more often in the morning when James wasn’t there to keep an eye on things. James was glad Q was eating regularly; he planned on setting up some sort of food delivery thing with Eve when Q had to go back to work. 

He was still having trouble referring to Q as Danny. Just like the other man referred to him as 007 often, especially when he got tired or had just woken up. James learnt to tell how tired he was and when he needed a tea refill; the kettle was always kept full and boiled. Q was getting used to having a mug of tea next to his glasses when he woke up in the morning. It never failed to make him smile and fall a little bit more in love with James. Sitting in bed he looked into his mug and sighed. He was scared of making a move, just in case it ruined their friendship. Not knowing what to do, he sent Eve a text before getting out of bed to start breakfast and seeing if the princess was awake yet.

E: ‘Don’t know what? More context pls’

Q: ‘Sorry. Didn’t have all my tea before I sent that. I like James’

E: ‘Good 4 u. Did he make a move yet?’

Q: ‘WHAT? MAKE A MOVE?’

E: ‘Don’t use shouty capitals at me. I thought it was obvious that he liked u’

Q: ‘Realgisej’

E: ‘Yes really. Say hello 2 Louise 4 me’

Q: ‘She’s def active 2day. So help’

E: ‘With the baby or James?’

“Somebody’s loved this morning.”

Q jumped, “Bloody hell, James. Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“Sorry,” said James smirking. 

“Yeah right,” Q turned back and finished sorting Louise out. 

“So, which minion is updating their fearless leader this fine morning?”

“Not a minion. Here hold Louise, while I start cooking. Eve will kill you if she heard you call her one of my minions.”

“I’ll take my chances a second time round.”

“Well, third time lucky is what they say.” Humming James looked down at Louise, who blinked and squeaked at him. Cooing at her, he gave her one of his fingers to hold. Q melted at   
the sight, before quickly turning back to save the eggs. He decided just to continue going with the flow and see what happened, if anything would happen between him and James. He would do anything to keep Louise in his life, she had become unexpectedly important to him; as had James’s friendship.

~~~

The days flew by, filled with walks to the park close by to see the ducks, late night Doctor Who marathons and a couple of trips to the zoo. James took Q on the London Eye, as Q had never been on it. Q was scared but it wasn’t as bad as he feared because James distracted him by holding his hand whilst making funny faces at Louise. 

Q started to feel torn about wanting to go back to work or not. He was surprised at how relaxed and stress free James looked and wondered if he looked the same. It would definitely be different at work without James, but on the other hand Q was glad he had someone to come home to now. Maybe he would start taking more regular hours and weekends. R was quite competent at running Q-Branch when Q wasn’t there. 

One sunny morning James dragged a still half asleep Q to the local farmer’s market where they got things to make pizzas from scratch. Q was so proud of his and James’s efforts that he dragged James back the next day for more ingredients and invited Eve, M and Tanner around for dinner. Louise loved all the attention and cuddles she received. James was glad she now fell asleep easily in anyone’s arms, but he knew that Q could still get her asleep or to stop crying quicker than anyone.

“I never told you how I got Louise.” 

Q looked up startled, he had been lost in his own thoughts as he helped James wash the dishes from dinner, “You don’t need to, James.”

“No, but I want to.”

“Why?”

“Do I have to have a reason?”

“No, I suppose not. But you do, I know you do.”

“You know me too well.”

“Not as much as I would like.” Q bit his lip and blushed, holy mother of God. Why did he just say that? 

“Is that so? No need to be embarrassed Danny.” Blushing harder Q looked down at the tea towel in his hands.

“Hey, look at me.” James put a wet soapy hand under Q’s chin lifting it up so they were eye to eye. “I don’t mind. I actually might want you to know me better.”

“I, uh. Really?”

“Mmm. I like you. I have for awhile now.” James turned the water off with his free hand, eyes and other hand never leaving Q’s face. 

“But this doesn’t change the fact that I don’t need to know about Louise.”

“Shhh. Just let me talk please. I want you to know this. Louise is actually my niece,” laying a finger on Q’s mouth to quieten him James continued, “I know my file doesn’t say that I   
have a brother. It’s because we aren’t actually related, but that doesn’t make Alec any less of a brother to me. He left Mi6 not long before you started because he had met and fell in love with a girl. He thought that he’d be able to protect Jane better if he left. Anyway, someone put a hit on them both. Alec went to Russia and…. I, I… tried to help but by the time I found out, it was too late. I did manage to get the bastards responsible though.”

Q grabbed James into a hug as he started to cry.

“I was able to save Louise. They didn’t know about her, somehow Alec and Jane had been able to keep her secret. Burying them both was one of the hardest things I’ve done. I promised them that I would do anything for Louise so she….”

“Oh James,” Q breathed as he held James close, with James’s head on his shoulder and hands stroking his short blonde hair. “Thank you for telling me.”

They both stood holding each other until Louise started to cry. James pulled away wiping at his face with his hands. Q took one of his hands and led the way to the baby. Quietly they changed and fed her together before James settled onto a couch cradling Louise close. Q curled up next to James on the couch and leaned into him, his hair tickling James’s chin.

“I have to go back to work in two days.”

“I know. It’ll be different with you not here.”

“Yeah, I’ll miss the nappy changes.”

“I think you’re happy about that. You’d get rid of that duty all together if you could,” James chuckled softly with a small smile.

“That is true. I think I’ll have a party when Louise doesn’t need nappies anymore.”

“Planning that far into the future?”

“I would like to. If you want to as well.”

“I meant what I said before. I do like you, Q.”

“Well, I suppose you’re stuck with me then.”

“You’re stuck with us more like it.”

“Regardless I’m more then happy with the situation.” Q straightened up and looked at James, pausing for a fraction of a second before leaning close to place a light kiss on James’s lips. James deepened it before Q had a chance to pull away. Both of them burst out laughing when Louise started squeaking at them.

~~~

Wrapping his arms around Q’s waist and peering over his shoulder James asked, “What are you doing?” 

“Changing a nappy,” Q replied, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. 

“How’s it going?”

“Good. I think I’ll be able to get it right the first time, when the baby is added to the equation.”

“Oh, so you have noticed that there’s no baby.”

“Yes, its called practising James.” Q shifted around in James’s arms and wrapped his own around him, breathing in deep and sighing as James snorted.

“You won’t forget how to change a nappy just because you’re back at work, Q, honestly.”

“IF I practise than I know I won’t forget. So quit distracting me please.”

“Oh Q, how easily you forget that I don’t follow orders much.”

“Mmmhmmm. I haven’t forgotten that. You only have a few minutes to distract me though, I have to go to work.”

~~~

Standing up Q rolled his sore shoulders, having the three weeks off had really thrown him. His body was still rebelling at the long strenuous hours, even after a week and a half back   
at work. It had been a tough day; he had to help run four different Double O missions on top of the piles of work that he was still wading through. The Double O’s never changed, all of them loved explosions, car chases, gunfights and not listening to orders. R was doing a brilliant job at helping out but unfortunately that didn’t really lessen his workload much.

To top it off he was seriously homesick, Q couldn’t wait until he knocked off. He missed James’s banter and regular interruptions. He also missed Louise’s smiles and squeaks, and being able to take a break from whatever to hug her. If only he could somehow be a stay at home dad like James.

As he trudged up to M’s office Q thanked his lucky stars that he was a genius and had copious amounts of IQ. Honestly, he was so proud of himself.

“You want to WHAT?”

“Eve, this is a private meeting between Q and myself.”

“Well, he’s not Q any more apparently,” snapped Eve as she stood in the middle of M’s office glaring at Q.

“Seriously Eve, get out or I will have you removed.”

“Sir, you may as well let her stay. She’ll only nag me as soon as I leave.”

“Fine, Eve take a seat,” M gestured at the empty chair next to his desk, before turning back to Q, “So you want to become a consultant?”

“Yes. I figured that I could basically do what I did whilst I was on holidays and R can run Q-Branch. She’s more than qualified and the minions listen to her. It’ll mean I can stay at   
home with James and help with the nappy changes. Which, and please don’t tell James, I actually enjoy doing.” Both Eve and M chuckled at that. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” M asked.

“Yes, very sure.”

“Ok then. Well, all that’s left for you to do is to tell Q of her promotion and then sort out some sort of work for you.”

“That’s it?” Eve inquired, thinking that there would’ve been a more elaborate hand over.

“Yes Eve, that’s it,” M sighed.

“But you can’t let him leave.”

“He’s not leaving, as such.”

“He won’t be here, that constitutes as leaving.”

“You can always come visit Eve, you know that,” Q said as he patted her shoulder.

“I know, I know. But whose office are Tanner and I going to use for our tea breaks?”

“You can always keep using my old one or M here has quite a nice office.”

Eve looked around at the room, “Hmmm, yes. I suppose it does have more room up here and I wouldn’t have to go far. We could spread out and even set up a proper chess board   
table.”

“I don’t get a say in this do I?” M huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“No, you don’t. I suggest not to play chess with Eve, she’s sneaky and will cheat.”

“I’ll have you know that I never cheated.”

“Says the spy who’s a well known liar.” 

“Thanks a lot, now no one will play against me.” 

“No worries my dear Eve.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James Bond comes home with a baby. Q has no idea what to do.

Rushing home from his last day at Mi6 Q bounded through the front door almost tripping over James.

“Did you miss us that much, Danny?” asked James chuckling as he caught Q around the waist. 

“You know I did,” Q replied after he kissed James.

“In any case, I’m glad your home. You better say hello to the little princess, she’s missed you heaps as well.” Q took Louise from James and gave her a big kiss and hug as she tried to grab his curls.

James went to put the finishing touches on the semi-surprise celebration dinner he had planned as Q went to put his stuff away and put Louise to bed. He had accidently texted Q instead of Eve, asking her what he should make for dessert. Q had rung him back and insisted that he’d sort dessert out, buying tubs of their favourite ice cream on the way home. Q loved chocolate chip cheesecake whilst James preferred honey macadamia and toffee. They both stole spoonfuls of the other’s when they weren’t supposedly looking.

Dimming the main lights, James lighted some candles he had put on the table, smiling as Q appeared next to him. He pulled him into a hug and then into his lap as he sat down. Q softly chuckled as he relaxed into James. They ate in silence, enjoying the peace and quiet and each other’s company. James grinned when Q handed him the entire tub of ice cream and a spoon. He liked Q’s thinking, this way there would be fewer dishes to clean and they could eat or steal as much ice cream as they wanted. They both sat sideways on the couch, one shoulder leaning against the back of the chair, legs crossed and knees and feet touching. 

“I feel like I’m in a rom-com or something,” Q said as he licked some of his ice cream off the spoon. 

James’s mouth twitched in response as he tried to hold back laughter. “So is this the part where we start gossiping about things or the part where one of us has to start crying?”

“Well, I think we can leave the crying part to Louise when she wakes up. So that leaves us the gossiping part, but unfortunately we’ll have to wait for Eve to hear any of the good stuff.”

“That lady knows far to much,” said James as he offered Q a spoonful of his ice cream. 

Q offered a spoonful back, getting some on the top of James’s nose in the process. “She is a spy after all. So, that leaves us a few other rom-comy options though.”

“Oh?” inquired James as Q lent forward to lick the ice cream from his nose.

“Mmm. In some I’ve watched one person gives their love interest a surprise.”

“I tried to do that part already.”

“Yes, true. But the other person then gives one of their own.” Q turned and grabbed an envelope from behind one of the couch’s cushions, before shyly handing it over to James.

James put his ice cream down on the coffee table before opening the envelope. He took out a set of keys, turning them over in his hands before looking up at Q.

“It’s to a house on the coast. You mentioned a couple of times that you always wanted to live near the beach. It has lots of space and I thought Louise could really use a backyard. It   
has good internet reception too. And you could get a dog or something. Of course, I’ll probably get a cat.” 

James stopped Q’s rambling by leaning forward, placing a hand on his cheek and kissing him fiercely. 

“Q, you didn’t have too,” he murmured pulling back slightly to look into Q’s eyes.

“But I wanted too,” Q replied quietly.

“You have done so much for me and Louise.”

“Like I said, I wanted to.”

“I honestly can’t imagine what I would do with out you. Oh, we’re doing this so out of order.”

“Out of order?” Q asked with a quizzical look as James set the keys and Q’s ice cream down on the table next to his. 

“I know people wait a few years before proposing. But I know you’re everything Louise and I want and need. I never want to find out what life is like without you in it. I’d be honestly the happiest man alive if you agree to be my husband. And I’m sure Louise would be happy too, if you said yes.”

Q looked down at the ring James had in his hands. “Maybe we won’t need Louise for the crying bit. I, yes. Yes, yes, yes.”

Just as James slipped the ring onto Q’s finger Louise started to cry, making the two men laugh. 

“She has perfect timing,” James commented as he pulled Q up from the couch.

Q followed James, wiping away his tears, “She dose indeed.”

~~~

“PA! Daddy’s got the car ready. He says you gotta come now!”

Q smiled down at the little girl tugging at his sleeve. “Ok, I’ll be right there. Have you got your bag?”

“Yes. See?” Louise turned and showed him her pink unicorn bag before running out the door, blonde pigtails flying behind her.

Q watched her leave. He couldn’t believe she was nearly four and was about to start her first day at school. Time had certainly flown by the last few years. Shutting down his computer, Q got up and followed his daughter out the door. He grabbed his and James’s lunch from the kitchen bench before heading to the garage. He had scored a job teaching a computer course a couple of days a week at the local high school James had started teaching English to last year. Q was nervous but James had told him that if he could handle a bunch of Double Os, he could handle a bunch of teenagers. 

Q wiped away a few tears as he and James waved a last time to Louise. He knew that just like him, she would be fine. Straightening his tie, he took James’s hand and smiled as they headed off into a brave new world.


End file.
